Jayalalithaa files bail plea on grounds of ill-health

Former Tamil Nadu chief minister J. Jayalalithaa on Thursday moved the Supreme Court against an order by the Karnataka High Court refusing her bail in a corruption case.

“I am a 66-year-old woman suffering from various ailments and I have been sentenced to four years,” said the bail plea, in which she cited ‘poor health’ as the primary reason for seeking relief.

Jayalalithaa, who has been behind bars for the past 12 days, urged the apex court to grant an urgent hearing of her petition on Friday.

Noting that there was ‘no expeditious reason to deny’ her relief, she said the Karnataka High Court had erred while denying her bail, especially after the special public prosecutor had not objected to a conditional bail.

She said she had not misused her powers as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu in this case.

Jayalalithaa also cited her status as a senior citizen and a woman while seeking bail.